Brooks Horne

One problem — among the many — with mountain pine beetles is they don’t respect borders. …In 2006, swarms of wind-borne beetles flew eastward into west-central Alberta. Since that initial invasion, Alberta’s government, along with forestry companies, have engaged in an aggressive counterattack. Alberta has become Canada’s beetle battleground as the province tries to do what B.C. failed to do and stop the beetles from marching into fresh territory. One estimate puts the cost of the fight from 2004 to 2016 in Alberta at $484 million. …There are assertions that Parks Canada failed to do enough to control the infestation when it appeared a few years ago. If so, letting the beetles turn the park into a ravaged beachhead for a renewed onslaught on Alberta is irresponsible and unforgivable. It is likely too late to close the barn door but Parks Canada must do much more to remediate the infestation, and quickly.